The military said residents in areas where its forces are operating would be allowed to leave through three designated exit points. (Reuters photo)
Two attackers killed, manhunt continues
Netanyahu also announced plans for a wider security operation in the neighbourhood from which the attackers had emerged.
The Israeli military has launched what it described as a “limited counterterrorism” operation in the Hebron area of the occupied West Bank following a shooting attack that killed two Israeli soldiers and wounded several others. Speaking during his visit, Netanyahu said the attackers had sought to harm Israelis ahead of the election, but soldiers had stopped them. He said Israeli forces would remove residents, search homes and destroy weapons and what he described as terrorist infrastructure. ” The IDF said two attackers involved in the shooting had been killed.
The incident comes just five days before Israel goes to the polls. “We spoke a few weeks ago about our enemies’ attempts to harm us, our citizens and our soldiers ahead of the elections. That is what they tried to do here. IDF soldiers stopped it with their bodies; some were wounded, and the soldiers not only stopped the terrorists but also fought back with courage and liquidated them. “We will first act to destroy this place and change it completely, but [we will] do something that has not been done until now. We are going to implement the successful and offensive model that we used in the refugee camps, which are actually terrorist strongholds. This is exactly what we will do here, inside the neighbourhood in Hebron from which the terrorists emerged. We will clear out the residents, go house to house, take out the weapons and all the infrastructure of terror, [and they] will be treated and destroyed. Security forces are continuing a search for any additional suspects who may have been involved. The military operation follows Netanyahu’s order to cordon off Hebron and restrict movement into and out of the West Bank. The measures come amid heightened security concerns ahead of the Israeli election. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
In a post on X, the IDF said, “In response to the shooting attack in which 2 IDF soldiers fell, and several others were wounded, the IDF along with other security forces launched a targeted & limited counterterrorism operation in the Hebron area, from which the terrorists had emerged.
The military said residents in areas where its forces are operating would be allowed to leave through three designated exit points. Individuals who raise suspicion during the screening process will be referred to security forces for further questioning,” the IDF said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited Hebron earlier on Friday after ordering a “full lockdown” of the West Bank following the attack, which left five people wounded. The assault was carried out by alleged Hamas militants, according to Israeli authorities.
They are also questioning suspects as part of the operation. “Following questioning and security screening. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said on Friday that troops and other security forces had begun targeted searches to find and dismantle weapons and infrastructure linked to the attackers.